Trench digger



Aug. 19, 1924.

INVENToR 3 Sheets-Sheet l N. h@ u p iw@ ll` D C. C.- HANSEN TRENCHDIGGER Filed March l 1924 lv` "In m...

C. C. HANSEN TRENCH DIGGER Aug. 19 1924.

Filed March l, `1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mr o INVENToR fl/uwled JTt/Se/L UsATTo'EY Patented Aug. 19, 1924@ UNITED STATES 1 1,505,195 Nmvrfrziv'roFFic'E.

vCH.QRLES C. 'HANSEN, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOll'GERSOLL-RANLD COMPANY, QF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, CORPORATION OIENEEN JERSEY- 'TB/ENCE BIGGER.

Application filed. March 1, 192,4, Serial Na 696,115.

.T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. HANSEN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Easton, county of Northampton, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain Trench Digger, of which the.following is a specification, accompanied by drawings. f

This invention relates to vexcavating machines and includes featureswhich are of general application though having `special adaptability foruse in devices for digging trenches, ditches and the like.

It is an object of this invention to facilitate the digging of trenchesoi' other1 eXcavation work automatically and preferably by .pneumatic orpressure Huid means lesseiiing the manual labor usually, employed forsuch operations.

This and other objects are accomplished by providing a wheeled machinecapable of being pushed forward by a single operator and completelyvoperated by him from his normal position at the rear of the machine. Bya very slight telfort on the partof the operator comparatively largequantities of material may be removed at each operation, theshovt-ilingl ,portion of the machine vbeing forced into the material tobe removed by pneumatic percussive means and removedas well by pneumaticdevices` The material thus loaded on the shovel and raised isautomatically swung laterally and dumped or thrown to the side by meanswhich cooperates with thelifting devices.

The invention will be more clearly understood by referring to thedrawings which ill strates an improved form which the invention mayassume in practice.

ln the drawiiigs,'Figure l is the side ele vation in section of anexcavating machine constructed in accordance with the practice of theinvention and indicates the manner in which the shovel is automaticallyoperated.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine showing more particularly thearrangement which the parts bear with respect to the trench in processof being excavated.

Figure 3 is a front View of the machine with the shovel in its normalosition,

Figure 4 is a front view otIP the machine with the shovel raised andtilted to automatically throw the excavated material beyond the side ofthe frame or carriage, and

'the machine consists of a pair of laterally extending side bars Aterminating at the rear in a pair of handles B adapted to be grasped bythe operator for the purpose of propelling the machine. lThe side bars tare connected by a plurality of cross pieces C, D, E, F Gr, and H, anddiagonale J forming a rigid frame to withstand the shocks of theapparatus suspended therefrom. Toward the forward end a pair of wheels Kmounted on an axle L supports the frame A as by means of a block M and aclamp consisting of a `plate O and bolts P. Rcarwardly of the wheels Kthere are provided rests K in the form of rods bent to a V-shape andattached to the under side of the side bars A.

Forwardly and belowl the frame there is suspended a shovel Q, theheel-of which is provided with a handlein the forni of a long bar Rextending rearwardly from the shovel and `having a shank suitably formedto lit into and cooperate with means prefer-` ably tluid actuated, forthrusting the shovel forwardly into the ground or othermaterial to beexcavated. To this end this means comprises a pneumatic percussive toolS ha ving a front head T to receive the shank of the handle R and a gripU against which the operator exerts a pressure to steady and direct theshovel Q, as well as the tool S. lf desired, the tool S may be of the'type ordinarily known as a hammer drill which is provided with hammerpiston (not shown) for striking rapidly against the shank of asteelhtting into the chuck (not shown) in the front head T. The shank ofythe handle R is litted into the chuck of the front head T in the samemanner as ay drill steel ordinarily would be, and, upon operating thethrottle V controlling the supply of air to the tool S, rapid blows arestruck on the end of the handle R. The tool S forces the edge of theshovel Q into the ground until, the shovel is full of dirt or othermaterial to be excavated. In order to place the grip U of the tool Swithin `easy reach of the operator, the tool is suspended from the beingattached to opposite sides of the tool S (Figure there is no tendency ofthe tool to rotate. This assists in keeping the shovel Q horizontalwhile driving it forward.

' The shovel Q is suspended from the frame by a flexible cable, chain orrope a attached to a loose collar a at the heel of the shovels andpasses over a pulley b mounted by means of a bracket c on the crosspiece C. The other end of the cable a is connected with 'a Huidoperative means for raising the shovelV which consists of a piston cl onthe end of a piston rod e working within a cylinder f into which motivefluid such as, for instance, compressed air is introduced through a hoseg. A suitable throttle lever h controls the flow of compressed air fromthe supply pipe j into a pipe lc connected with the hose g, and beinglocated near one ofthe handles B, the operator may control the operationof the raising means without reaching unduly. As shown in Figure l thecylinder f is provided with a plurality of small escape ports o whichlimit the travel of the piston d since air admitted into the front endof the cylinder' may escape through these ports, if the piston d travelsback sufliciently far to uncover them. A leak port o is provided toallow the motive fluid to escape from the cylinder f when the throttle Lis closed and is located in such a position in the cylinder f that thedownward movement of t-he shovel Q will be cushioned by the fluidentrapped in the cylinder f. Thus when the shovel Q is raised byadmitting air into the cylinder f the danger of breaking the cable a isdiminished.

Upon raising the shovel Q it is desirable to provide means for swingingthe load laterally so as to remove it from above the trench and to tiltand dump the shovel. To this end there is provided a guide which in thisinstance consists of a curved plate extending downwardly in the path ofthe handle R of the shovel Q the plate p being reinforced by a web gattached thereto by means of the angles r. On the handle R there isattached a cam s which is adapted to ride on its circular face on theplate p. As the shovel Q is elevated, the handle R is swung laterally sothat the material in the shovel may be dumped off to one side and notback' into the trench. The guide plate p and its stiiening web g aremounted in a suitable manner upon a beam t spring snspended from thecross piece C as by means of the bolts u nassing through beams t and thecross piece and having the encircling springs o for absorbing the shockas the cam s strikes the under face of the beam t. Other springs w onthe bolts u, held thereon by the bolt heads, prevent the bolt head frominjuring the beam D when the shovel Q is released and allowed to drop,and to provide a spring suspension in both directions for the beam t.The angles t prevent end mo tion of the beam due to the side thrust onthe plate p. To tilt the shovel there is preferably' provided a cam swhich strikes an abutment mounted on the beam t and causes the shovel(el to tilt its o n face toward one side as shown in igure 4.Preferably, the air pressure is admitted to the cylinder f by openingwide the throttle It, whereupon the shovel rises rapidly, is swung overto the side and tilted. The force and momentum resulting from thesemovements causes the material in the shovel Q to be projected withconsiderable force sidewise beyond the path of the wheels K.

The operation of the excavating machine is clear from the abovedescription, it being noted that the operator stands at the rear of themachine where he can propel the device forward or to the rear andoperate the throttle 7L of the raising cylinder' f, and without reachingunduly operate the per cussive tool S by grasping the grip U swinging itforwardly and rearwardly on the chains lV and the rope a, and pressingthe throttle Y.

The air supply may be connected to the various pneumatic devices in anysuitable manner as for instance to the cylinder f by means of the pipeconnection 1 and hose connections g and j and to the percussive tool Sby means of the hose connection j.

As shown in the drawing, the shovel is suspended preferably nearer oneside of the. machine, that is to say nearer one of the wheels K. Theobject of this arrangement is to throw the material from the shovel Q aslittle distance as necessary without obstructing the progress of themachine along the trench by unloading in front of the wheels K. If it isdesired to throw the ma` terial to the opposite side of the trench, the

p' beam t carrying the guide plate p may be removed and reversed byremoving suitable bolts, the cylinder f is bolted to the cross piece Fon the opposite side, and the bracket c is removed to the other side ofthe cross piece C. The cam s is reversed by driving the shovel Q fromthe tapered end of the handle R and turning the cam a and the handle Rover to the opposite side. The plate Y is slid over on the cross piece Hnot bolted thereto.

I claim: y 4 f l. An excavating machine comprising a frame, a shovelsuspended from said frame, fluid actuated percussive means for drivingsaid shovel forward, means for raising said shovel, and automatic meanstoy tilt and dump said shovel upon elevation thereof to a predeterminedheight.

,2. An excavating machine comprising a frame, a shovel suspended fromsaid frame,

iiuid actuated percussive means supported by said fra-me and adapted tothrust said shovel forward, means to raise said shovel, a guide toyswing said shovel laterally, and automatic means to tilt and dump saidshovel upon elevation thereof to a predetermined height.

3. An excavating machine comprising a frame, a shovel suspended fromsaid frame, fluid actuated percussive means to thrust said shovelforward, means for raising said shovel, a guide to swing said shovellaterally upon raising thereof, and a cam to tilt and dump said shovelupon elevation thereof to a predetermined height.

t. An excavating machine comprising a frame, a shovel suspended fromsaid frame, Huid actuated percussive means suspended from said frame forthrusting said shovel forward, pneumatic means to raise said shovel, aguide to swing said shovel laterally, a cam to tilt and dump said shovelupon elevation thereof to a predetermined height, and a spring bumperfor said shovel to strike.

5. An excavating machine comprising a frame having two forwardsupporting wheels and a. rearward rest, a shovel suspended from saidframe and forwardly thereof and having a handle extending rearwardly,fluid actuated percussive means cooperative with said handle to thru-stsaid shovel forwardly, means for raising said shovel, a guide to swingsaid shovel laterally, and means to tilt and dump said shovel.

6. An excavating machine comprising a frame having forward supportingwheels and a rearward rest, a shovel suspended from said frame having arearwardly extending handle, pneumatic percussive means cooperating withsaid handle to thrust said shovel forwardly, iiuid actuated means forraising said shovel, a guide to swing said shovel laterally, and meansto tilt and dump said shovel at a predetermined height.

7. An excavating machine comprising a frame having two forwardsupporting wheels and a rearward rest, a shovel pivotally suspendedbelow and forwardly of the said frame and having a handle extendingrearwardly, pneumatic percussive means suspended from said frame andcooperative with said handle to thrust said shovel forwardly, automatic.means to raise said shovel, a guide to swing said shovel laterally, anda cam on said shovel handle to tilt and dump said shovel upon elevationthereof to a predetermined height.

8. An excavating machine comprising a frame having forward supportingwheels and a rearward rest, a shovel suspended below and forwardly ofsaid frame and having a rearwardly extending handle, a pneumatic hammercooperative with said handle to thrust said shovel forwardly, acylinder, a pneumatically operated piston therein for raising saidshovel, a cam on said shovel handle, a curved guide adapted to bearagainst said cam to swing said shovel laterally, and an abutmentactuating said cam to tilt and dump said shovel upon elevation thereofto a predetermined height.

9. An vexcavating machine comprising a frame having forward supportingwheels and a rearward rest, a shovel suspended below and forwardly ofsaid frame having a rearwardly extending handle, a pneumatic hammercooperative with said handle to thrust said shovel forwardly, a cylinderand pneuinatically operated piston therein for raising said shovel, acam on said shovel handle, a curved guide adapted to bear against saidcam to swing said shovel laterally, an abutment actuating said cam totilt and dump said shovel upon elevation thereof to a predeterminedheight, and a spring suspension for said abutment.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

CHARLES C.-HANSEN.

